קירו. Kayruv. Judaism for Today In a Warm and Caring Environment FROM THE RABBI. May 2016 Nisan/Iyar 5776 TABLE OF CONTENTS. Kayruv means Welcoming.

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1 Kayruv קירו Judaism for Today In a Warm and Caring Environment May 2016 Nisan/Iyar 5776 FROM THE RABBI TABLE OF CONTENTS The Holy Hunchback I heard this story from Reb Mimi Feigelson, years ago, and have since then become darkly enamored of Kalonimus Kalman Shapira, the rebbe of the Warsaw Ghetto. Rabbi s Message Pg. 1 President s Message Pg. 4 May Events Pg. 5 Looking Ahead Pg. 6 Good Times We Shared Pg. 7 In The Community Pg. 8 Schedule of Services Pg. 9 Kayruv means Welcoming. The story begins with Reb Shlomo Carlebach studying the writings of Reb Kalonimus Kalman Shapira, the Piazeczna Rebbe of the Warsaw ghetto. He was particularly inspired. Reb Kalonimus buried the manuscript of his book The Holy Fire, in the rubble of the Warsaw ghetto, before he was taken to Auschwitz, in the archives that were called Oneg Shabbos 1, curated by Emmanuel Ringelblum 2. At the beginning of the manuscript Reb Kalonimus Kalman wrote: When you find this book, there may be no more Jews in Poland. There may be no more Jews in Europe. There may be no more Jews in the world. But in Jerusalem, in Yerushalayim, there will always be Jews because Yerushalayim cannot live without Jews. Please find the first Jew and beg him, in my name, to print this manuscript. And I swear to you that whoever will learn my book, whoever will print this manuscript, I will pray for them before God's holy throne. When Reb Shlomo read this book, it touched his heart and he began inquiring about the children who had studied with Reb Kalonimus Kalman. He asked and he asked. He wanted to meet with one and talk to him about what he had learned. But he was not able to find anyone who knew anyone that was still alive who had studied with the rebbe. One year, before Rosh Hashannah, he was walking down the Yarkon, the street where the beach is in Tel Aviv. And there he saw an old man, a hunchback. He looked so broken, so broken. He ntro.asp 1

2 was sweeping the street. His face was beautiful and so handsome, but his whole body was completely disfigured. Reb Shlomo had an intuition that this person was special. Reb Shlomo said to him in Hebrew: "Shalom aleichem" meaning hello or peace to you. But when Shlomo greeted a person, it was never an ordinary greeting. The words always carried their full meaning. Not just hello. Not just peace. Shalom also carries a meaning of completeness and well- being. Shlomo was giving the hunchback a blessing. But more than that. Shalom is also a name of God. And each neshamah, each soul, is a part of God. Through the name Shalom, Shlomo was sharing some of his neshamah with the hunchback. What Shlomo was saying was: Some of the holiness of God that is in me I give to you. With such a greeting, the hunchback could not help but notice. He answered back in a heavy Polish Yiddish Hebrew accent Alichem shulem. Hearing the Polish accent, Shlomo asked "Are you from Poland?" And he answered, "Yes, from Piezeczna." Shlomo could not believe it. A survivor from Piezeczna! Shlomo immediately asked, "Have you ever seen the holy Reb Kolonimus Kalman?" "What do you mean have I ever seen him? I learned in his yeshiva, in his school from the age of five until I was eleven. When I was eleven I was taken to Auschwitz. I was so strong they thought I was seventeen. I was whipped and kicked and hit. I never healed and that's why I look like this now. I have nobody in the world. I am all alone." And he started to sweep the street again. "My sweetest friend, my whole life I have been waiting to meet a person who studied with Reb Kalonimus Kalman, a person who was one of his children." And Shlomo pleaded, "Please give me over one of his teachings." The hunchback looked up at Reb Shlomo and said, "Do you think I can be in Auschwitz for five years and still remember teachings?" Shlomo immediately replied "Yes, I am sure. The holy Reb Kalonimus Kalman's teachings? The rebbe's teachings? How could you forget them? He was a real chasidishe yid." The hunchback saw that Shlomo was serious and said, "Oy, I cannot wait any longer." He walked over to a nearby fountain, washed his hands, tidied himself, and put on his jacket. He asked Shlomo again, "Do you really want to hear?" Shlomo encouraged him replying: "I swear to you I will give over your teaching all over the world." At this, the street cleaner began to cry. Shlomo had not seen such big tears in all his life. Finally, the hunchback began. "I want you to know that until the final redemption comes, there will never be such a Shabbos again. Can you imagine the heilige rebbe, the holy master, dancing with hundreds, maybe thousands, of children? Can you imagine the holy rebbe singing on Friday night amidst the holy angels, Sholem Aleichem Malachey Hasholem, greeting the holy angels? I want you to know that the rebbe taught Torah between the fish and the soup, between the soup and the chicken, and then between the chicken and the dessert." And now the street cleaner paused. He said to Shlomo, "Open your heart." These words, open your heart, the very words that Shlomo always used, now pierced his own soul. Shlomo knew that the hunchback was about to give over the deepest, deepest depths of his soul. The hunchback continued. "I want you to know, that after each teaching, this is what the rebbe said: Kinderlach, taiereh kinderlach, gedenk zhe d'greste zach in der welt iz tzu teen emetzen ah toive. Children, precious, treasured children, remember, the greatest thing in the world is to do somebody else a favor." "I came to Auschwitz. I knew my parents were dead. My whole family does not exist anymore. I wanted to commit suicide. But at the last moment, I heard the rebbe's voice saying Kinderlach, taiereh kinderlach, children precious children, the greatest thing in the world is to do someone else a favor." "Do you know how many favors you can do in Auschwitz at night? People are lying on the floor crying and no one even has the strength to listen to their stories anymore. I would walk from one person to another and ask, 'Why are you crying?' They would tell me about their children, about their wives whom they would never see in this life again until the final redemption arrives. I would hold their hands and cry with them. Then I would walk to another person. It would give me strength for a few weeks. When I was at the end, I would hear my rebbe's voice telling us to do somebody a favor." "Now, here in Tel Aviv, I have nobody in the world. You know, there are moments when I take off my shoes and I start to go to the beach, and walk into the ocean. 2

3 I am already up to my nose in the water, ready to drown myself, and I cannot but hear my rebbe's voice again saying, Remember precious children, the greatest thing in the world is to do somebody else a favor. " The chasid looked at Shlomo for a long time. Then he asked. "Do you know how many favors you can do on the streets of the world? A girl loses a ring, and here she comes, crying, and I, the streetsweeper, I have her ring and I give it back to her. I see someone s money fall from their pocket, and I can call and give it back to them. Shlomo gave him a parting hug and asked the hunchback to join him and his family for the Rosh Hashanah holiday. The hunchback was delighted and agreed. Shlomo gave him the information about where he was staying. They hugged each other again and the hunchback went on, sweeping the streets. Children, precious children, remember the greatest thing in the world is to do somebody else a favor. But Shlomo left Israel, and returned on Sukkot. And when he searched the streets for the holy hunchback, people told him he had passed away just before Sukkot. So this Torah, the Torah of kindness, was waiting to be told. Long Term Care Rehabilitation Services Home Care Hospice Day Services Advocacy and Education Long Term Care Protection Jewish Senior Services (formerly The Jewish Home for the Elderly of Fairfield County) will be moving to a new campus in the next couple of months! If you or your family have a dedication plaque that you would like RETURNED, please contact Dayna Hayden, Director, Development, at (203) or dhayden@jseniors.org. Yahrzeit plaques in the Synagogue and plaques on special walls (i.e. Endowment, the Stern Wall and the Tree of Life) will be relocated to the new campus. The loose bronze plaques are not moving, however the dedication messages will be carried over. Nancy Altchiler Synagogue Liaision Children, precious children, remember the greatest thing in the world is to do somebody else a favor. TREES FOR ISRAEL $18.00 PER TREE TO BENEFIT THE JEWISH NATIONAL FUND Please make checks payable to: Congregation B nai Israel Contact Gail Boms For Information

4 FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Friends, I hope that you had a restorative, stress-free, and liberating Passover, surrounded by family and friends (and if you re as lucky as I am, amazing food)! It was wonderful to see family from near and far at services. Looking ahead, there s a handful of activities and events I would like to highlight. Our Shabbat morning family and children s service has been so successful that Charles Cahn and Howard Weiner are making sure it happens every Shabbat and Festival morning, from 10:30 to 11:15 am. As always, everyone is welcome, everyone participates, and everyone has a chance to lead, to learn and to teach. Please join us, and give Charlie and Howard a big thank-you for making it happen. We re hosting our fifth annual Touch A Truck fundraiser at Danbury High School on Sunday, May 22 from 10:00 to 3:00 pm. Every year we assemble a remarkable array of trucks, construction and emergency vehicles, and give kids a chance to see them up close and personal. There s food, drinks and fun for the whole family, so please help us get the word out, and please consider volunteering that Sunday it s really a blast! While we believe, as Rabbi Altenburger has so beautifully written, in a living, vital and transformative Judaism that we strive to build in a warm and caring community, we all know that our continuing vitality and dynamism depend on much more: understanding who we are (our strengths, our weaknesses, and what makes us special and unique); thinking deeply about what we care about (our passion and mission) and what we want to achieve (our vision for our future); and strategically planning to reach our goals. None of these is easy, but given the challenges and opportunities we face, along with the rest of the organized Jewish (and for that matter Christian) community these days, it s clear that we must address them with determination and vigor. The survey you received in the mail in the past couple of weeks (with a big thanks to Doreen Waver, Barbara Levitt, Barbie Steinberg and Rabbi Altenburger) is a critical step in this process: understanding why each of us cares about B nai Israel, what we think we do well, and what we believe we could be doing better, is crucial for charting our path forward as a community. Please fill out the surveys and get them in as soon as you can. Our congregational meeting on Sunday evening, June 5 th at 7:00 pm will be an opportunity to take stock of the results and continue the conversation about (as I said last year) what we might be able to accomplish if only we thought it were possible. Together with creativity, courage and community, Kennis Koldewyn We re trying a new fundraiser this year in conjunction with Savers of Brookfield, which we expect will be much Better than a Tag Sale : bring tag sale items (clothing, accessories, tools, exercise equipment, toys, kitchen utensils, books, small furniture, etc.) to CBI between June 19 th and 24 th, we ll get it to Savers, and they ll pay us by the pound. No fuss, no muss, no leftover items, and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America also benefit. OK, that s enough about the next month or two what about the big picture? As I said at last year s Congregational Meeting, over time it s easy to get stuck in a rut, lost in the day-to-day minutiae, and with another Congregational Meeting coming up, it s time to start thinking not just about where we ve been and where we are, but about where we re headed. 4

5 MAY EVENTS Sunday, May 22 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. Fourth Annual Touch A Truck Event 5

6 LOOKING AHEAD Saturday June 4 th Special Kiddush Honoring the Turks Please plan to join us on Saturday, June 4th for a special Kiddush (following Shabbat Services) celebrating the lives of our late and beloved congregants, Pearl and Amos Turk. The Turks leave a legacy of generous commitment to their community and their synagogue. Their memory remains a source of inspiration for all who knew them Sunday, June 5 th at 7:00 P.M. Annual Congregational Meeting Please save the date and plan to attend our annual congregational meeting on Sunday, June 5 th at 7:00 P.M. We need one-third of our membership present in order to pass our slate and our budget. Our president, Kennis Koldewyn, will present the State of the Synagogue report, sharing our accomplishments, successes, and the stumbling blocks we face. The annual congregational meeting is also your opportunity to be heard. Please be there and let us know what s on your mind. We need to you re your suggestions on how to build the best possible synagogue community. Help us to keep on growing and advancing as the vital, stimulating, exciting religious home we have become for our members. Watch your for the Slate of Officers.. DONATIONS NEEDED! FOR OUR LOCAL FOOD PANTRIES! This is CBI s ongoing project to help our local food pantries. Items most in need are dried/canned beans, canned fish, peanut butter, jelly, fruit juice, sugar, flour, personal care items such as soap and shampoo. (The pantries get cereal, canned veggies and rice from area supermarkets.) CBI is a generous and caring community and as always, we thank you for your donations and support as they are truly appreciated. 6

7 GOOD TIMES WE SHARED What a beautiful experience! A dozen B nai Israelites joined longtime member Isaac Ohring s family, friends and teachers at his Junior Recital held on Wednesday evening, April 20 th at the new Visual and Performing Arts Center at Western Connecticut State University, where Isaac is a music performance major. Isaac, poised and confident, led the audience through two sublimely played pieces; Beethoven s Spring Sonata for Piano and Violin, Op. 24 and Henryk Wieniawski s Legende, Op. 17. Ably accompanied by Alex Saraceno on piano, Isaac mastered each work. Afterward, speaking to the audience, he thanked his teachers, family and friends and paid special tribute to his father, the late Peter Ohring. Peter and Isaac often performed together in the community and were original members of B nai Israel s Not Ready for Prime Time Klezmer Band. Isaac with his mother Mary Isaac, your B nai Israel family is proud of you! Joel Levitt Grandparents Jean and George Ohring kvelling with Henry Tritter 7

8 IN THE COMMUNITY What's Happening at the JCC in Sherman "They Did Resist" Sunday, May, 15th at 10AM Speaker, Ronnie Hirschhorn, an expert on the Holocaust, will speak about Jewish resistance during World War II. Children Programs Children's Wisdom: Guided Visualization, Songs, and Play for Peace (Children Ages 3-6) Class Taught By: Shannon Marzella 6-Week Series - April 27 th June 1 st / Wednesdays 4:00 PM 5:00 PM $75 Members / $90 Non-members Little Birds Music & Movement (Children Ages 2-4) Class Taught By: Felicia Michael 4- Week Series April 26 th May 17 th / Tuesdays 10:00 AM 10:45 $60 for series Adult Workshops Writing Memoir and Personal Essays Class Taught By: Priscilla Whitley 5-Week Series: May 11th - June 8 th / Wednesdays 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM $75 Members / $90 Non-members Digging In: A Primer on Growing an Organic Vegetable Garden Class Taught By: Michele MacKinnon 3-week Series: May 7-21 Saturday Mornings: 10:00 AM 12:00 PM $75 members / $90 Non-members (Includes all materials) CONTACT: The JCC in Sherman info@jccinsherman.org 8

9 SCHEDULE OF SHABBAT SERVICES Shabbat, 29 Nisan, May 7, Aharei Mot: The establishment of the annual atonement ritual for the People of Israel (Yom Kippur). Haftarah: 1 Sam. 20:18-42 Shabbat, 6 Iyar, May 14, Kedoshim: The ethical laws that govern Jewish society in the Holiness Code. Haftarah: Amos 9:7-15 Shabbat, 13 Iyar, May 21, Emor: We read of the holiness among the priestly class followed by description of holiness in time: The Jewish Holy Days. Haftarah: Ezek. 44:15-31 Shabbat, 20 Iyar, May 28, Behar: The social responsibility toward the earth and the poor. Haftarah: Jer.32:6-27 Shabbat, 27 Iyar, June 4, Behukkotai: The book of Leviticus ends with the promises and consequences of following the law. Haftarah: Jer. 16:19-17:14 Shabbat, 5 Sivan, June 11, Bemidbar: The camp of Israel organizes itself in the desert. Haftarah: Hosea 2:1-22 CANDLE LIGHTING May 6, 2016: 7:39 P.M. May 13, 2016: 7:46 P.M. May 20, 2016: 7:53 P.M. May 27, 2016: 7:59 P.M. June 3, 2016: 8:05 P.M. June 10, 2016: 8:09 P.M. June 11, 2016: 9:17 P.M. June 12, 2016: 9:18 P.M. YAHRZEITS 12 Iyar, May 20, 2016 David Tabachnick (Rochelle Hutchings) 14 Iyar, May 22, 2016 Milton Small (Pam Lampell) Milton Steinberg (F. Richard Steinberg) 23 Iyar, May 31, 2016 Betta Pagrach Smeer (Dina Essinger) Favish Ben David (Martin Waltuch) Manny Ashkenas (Nada Adler) 24 Iyar, June 1, 2016 Morris Nusskern (Roslyn Bank) 29 Iyar, June 6, 2016 Louis Levitt (Joel Levitt) 4 Sivan, June 10, 2016 Louis Kiperman (Shelley Hartstein) 6 Sivan, June 12, 2016 Elsie Steinberg (Jeffry Steinberg) 8 Sivan, June 14, 2016 Haim Victor Maya (Alan Maya) THANKS! THANKS! For the Rabbi s Discretionary Fund Susan and Kenneth Osnoss in honor of their grandsons, Samuel Neil Osnoss and Ethan Bobby Osnoss For the General Fund Marvin and Adelia Eskowitz in memory of Sol Berman and Sol Lepson Pat and Alvin Goldman in memory of Charlie Cahn s uncle Gerald Steinberg and Phyllis Cooper in loving memory of Pearl and Amos Turk For Their Generous Kiddush Julie Leventon in memory of her father Jay Brown Dina Markind in memory of her father Max Kruzansky The Kaplans in memory of Barry s mother Phyllis 9

10 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR FRIENDS IN THE COMMUNITY These pages contain business cards of members of the Greater Danbury Community who have been instrumental and generous to us in the renovation of our building. We ask you to help show our thanks by supporting them whenever possible for the following services. Masonry & Landscaping Tree Service Building Supplies Iron Works Plumbing Building Repairs & Renovations Attorney Landscaping/Garden Supplies Tree removal Bluestone entrance/walkway 10

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